| Biography |
Chandler Wilson is the Assistant Director of Athletic Bands and Assistant Professor of Music
Education at Florida State University. His responsibilities with athletic bands include being a
part of the creative team behind the Marching Chiefs and FSU’s athletic pep band program,
Seminole Sound, which primarily supports the men’s basketball program, the women’s
basketball and volleyball programs. As a part of the wind band conducting and music education
faculty, Dr. Wilson teaches courses in music education and conducts various concert ensembles.
Dr. Wilson is a native of Miami, FL. He attended Florida A&M University (FAMU) where he
earned his Bachelor of Science in Music Education. While a student at FAMU, he served as the
University Band President and section leader of the saxophones. During his time at FAMU, he
was selected as the student arranger and conductor for the marching and symphonic bands and
was selected as one of the first student staff members for the "Marching 100". Dr. Wilson earned
a Master of Arts in Wind Band Conducting from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his
Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis in Wind Band Conducting from Florida State
University.
Many compositions of Dr. Wilson have been premiered and performed on the concert band stage
with All-County/District Honor Bands and All-State Bands. He has also had selections
performed at the Music for All National Festival and the Midwest International Band and
Orchestra Clinic. His selection, "Legends of the Galaxy (A Cosmic Fanfare)," was ranked in the
Top 100 band compositions in the American Band College/Band World Magazine/Western
International Band Clinic Literature List for 2016 and his most recent work Suite Forty-four was
performed at the 2019 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic by the Hikarigaoka Girls’ High
School Wind Orchestra.
Prior to his arrival at Florida State University, Dr. Wilson served as Associate Director of Bands
and Director of Athletic Bands at Eastern Michigan University. During his public school
experience, he served as director of bands at Hollywood Hills High School and Cooper City
High School. Dr. Wilson also served as the associate conductor of the Broward Symphonic Band
under Neil Jenkins and the assistant conductor of the Music Ambassadors Europe Music Tour in
the summers of 2010 and 2012. Dr. Wilson has studied conducting under the batons of Prof.
Richard Clary, Dr. Jack Stamp, Dr. Julian White, Dr. Shelby Chipman, Dr. Roby George, and
Maestro Raffaele Ponti.
He holds professional memberships in the College Band Directors National Association,
National Association for Music Educators, Florida Music Educators Association, Florida
Bandmasters Association, National Band Association, Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band
Fraternity, Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, and is an honorary member "Friend
of the Arts" of Sigma Alpha Iota and Tau Beta Sigma. Dr. Wilson is a recipient of the Florida
Bandmasters Association "Tom Bishop Award" and is also a member of ASCAP (American
Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.) Dr. Wilson has also been recognized and
honored by Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.